Empowering Urban Governance

8/12/2019 Empowering Urban Governance

1/3

EMPOWERING URBAN GOVERNANCE: THE ROLE

OF DECENTRALIZATION AND PARTICIPATORY

PLANNING

Introduction

If democratic decentralization is used as a device to give autonomy and political space to minorities, then there

remain important questions about its effectiveness in ensuring fully inclusive participation, providing an equal

standard of public services and economic development throughout the national territory, and protecting the civil

and political rights of all groups.

If the decentralization is based on culturally defined areas then, unless there is complete homogeneity in each local

area, the system will create new minorities within minorities, who may be subjected to domination by localelites who capture power by democratic means.

Democratic participation at the local level prevent elite capture and/or more conflict between majority/minority

groups within a decentralized system of government. Participation may be defined as covering a range of

activities, both representative and direct or community based.

Within the framework of new decentralization policies, participatory planning allows local government to be

more responsive to public which in turn will deliver a better service. More importantly, the characteristic of

participatory planning that trying to involve all development stakeholders can minimize potential conflict among

those involved in development

In India, the enactment of 73rd and 74th amendment to the Constitution is noteworthy. The amendments were

made to ensure decentralization of planning, devolution of power at local level initiated to empower people to take

action and participate at various stages of plan making and plan implementation.

Enhancing participation at the local level through decentralization is clearly not sufficient in itself to make

governments more equitable, inclusive or responsive. Participatory activities can only effectively influence the

outcomes or performance of local government if they are mediated through mechanisms of accountability, which

ensure that the governments act in accordance with the wishes of representative bodies and implement authorized

spending policies correctly. Transparency, or open government which gives citizens full information on what is

being decided and how, is a kind of public accountability mechanism which only operates in systems which

already have the basics of democratic accountability in place.

Case Study: Delhi

Participatory planning is very sought after concept in the domain of planning in current practices. Delhi is a very

progressive city and the city planners and administrators are very active in adopting and implementing current


2/3

best practices across the world. There are many practices in Delhi which is seen as a good example of participatory

planning. Since 2000, urban decentralization has mainly come in the form of the highly visible Bhagidari or

partnership scheme, inviting city residents to participate in a process of dialogue and the discovery of joint-

solutions. Also does the process of preparation of Local Area Plan an initiative of Municipal Corporation of

Delhi to realize the provisions of Master Plan for a planned development taking into account the existing ground

realities.

Need for Study

The need of the study has arisen due to the combined effect of various factors like lack of awareness and

understanding of the concept and applicability of the participatory planning processes. Sometimes it seems more

or less customary or ad hoc in nature in the practice of participation that is taking place in the current scenario

where people are awakening to the need and demand for more participatory planning approach. Also, now after

the amendments, the planning and development is mostly done by a more democratic body i.e. urban local bodies

(ULBs), the expectation for greater public engagement has raised.

Objective

The institutional forms of participation must (Feng and Wright):

1. Deal with specific, tangible problems;

2. Involve ordinary people affected by these problems, as well as local officials, through a bottom-up

process; and

3. Resolve these problems through a deliberative approach.

Three institutional design features (Fung and Wright, 2003: 15) ensue from these principles:

1. The devolution of decision-making power to local and inter-sectoral action units;

2. The coordination and accountability of these local units before a higher political body; and

3. The restructuring of local government in accordance with the imperatives created by the new

participatory arrangements.

Together, these factors define a model of successful participatory governance. It also requires a mechanism of

accountability, that is to say, devolution of powers and resources to new political entities, but also recentralization

at an intermediary level.

Objectives thus will include:

1. To understand the operationalization of decentralization and participatory planning.

2. To assess its current status in Delhi.

3. To identify issues related to decentralization and participatory planning in plan making and

implementation.

4. To suggest recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of urban governance.


3/3

Scope

The scope would include studying the concepts of decentralization and participatory planning and its concept.

The conflicting paradigm of the two concepts will be analyzed. Its need in creating a good urban governance will

be highlighted. Also its need in plan making and implementation will be undertaken.

Methodology

1. Establishing the need of the study, identification of aim, objective and scope.

2. Literature Study

Decentralization: Study of 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution

Public Participation

Participatory Planning in Delhi

3. Case Studies

4. Parameter and framework for analysis

Primary and secondary data collection

5. Data Analysis

6. Recommendations

References

Crook, R. : Decentralisation and Good Governance, IDS Working Paper 130, June 2001

Mehra, D. : What Has urban decentralization Meant? A case Study of Delhi, Pacific Affairs, Volume 86, Number

4, December 2013, pp. 813-833(21)

Patsias C., Latendresse A. and Bherer L. : Participatory Democracy, Decentralization and Local Governance: the

Montreal Participatory Budget in the light of Empowered Participatory Governance, 2012 Urban Research

Publications Limited.

Chakrabarty B. : Participatory Governance In India: The Field Experience, ICSSR Journal of Abstracts and

Reviews

Sharma S. N. : Participatory Planning in Plan Preparation: A Case of Delhi, 2013, American Planning Association

Documents

Empowering Urban Governance